2012 shirts

2013 shirts

2014 shirts

2015 shirts

2016 shirts

As MARS/WARS has evolved, better organization of the team and the way it is run has developed. The team feels that it is best to execute the team as a business because participation in FIRST prepares students for their professional careers. 2014 was an important year for Team 4143 because the team implemented project management software through which the team could electronically assign tasks and determine progress. This advancement aided the team in the production of a robot for the 2014 game, Aerial Assist, in which robots were expected to shoot exercise balls into goals. The experience MARS/WARS acquired in its previous seasons enabled the team to fabricate an intricate robot with more advanced capabilities. The resulting robot, “The Phoenix,” was equipped with a swerve drive chassis which allowed the robot to drive in any direction. Other features of the robot included the ability for the robot to be loaded from two sides and fine control of the caliber of shots taken by the robot. The Phoenix competed in the Central Illinois Regional (CIR), a week 1 regional, where it finished as a finalist and MARS/WARS won the Judges Award. The team then traveled to Milwaukee where it participated in the Wisconsin Regional for the third consecutive year and was also awarded the Judges Award. 2014 was a year of significant progress for MARS/WARS and the team will apply the vast knowledge it acquired to future endeavors.

After a successful rookie season, MARS/WARS headed into it’s second year strong, ready to tackle the next challenge thrown at it. Having completed the construction of a robot in the previous season, team members had a better understanding of the design process. This understanding helped the team to be more organized and set goals to keep the robot fabrication on schedule. The game for the 2013 season, Ultimate Ascent, called for a robot that could shoot frisbees as well as climb a pyramid. MARS/WARS encountered difficulty with the implication of both a frisbee shooter and climbing mechanism into its robot. In the end the team chose not to incorporate a frisbee shooter and to instead optimize the robot for climbing, the area the robot had the strongest performance. This decision turned out to be successful as the team created a robot capable of climbing to the highest tier of the pyramid and scoring by dumping frisbees in the top of the structure for a total of fifty points. The exclusively climbing robot earned the name “Mantis” for its ability to swiftly climb and score, which became familiar with the guests of the venues MARS/WARS competed at; the team participated in two regionals in 2013 – The Wisconsin Regional in Milwaukee and the Crossroads Regional in Terre Haute, Indiana. At the Crossroads regional, MARS/WARS earned the Judges award for its clever personification of the Mantis robot. The 2013 season was of great consequence for MARS/WARS as the team implemented the knowledge it learned in its rookie season regarding the successful execution of a FIRST Robotics team.

2012 was the charter season for MARS/WARS Team 4143 and students faced unfamiliar challenges and were confronted to find solutions to conundrums that were foreign to them. The team was determined not to let inexperience inhibit their success and overcame obstacles with motivation to finish the season triumphantly. After countless hours of work by dedicated students and insightful mentors, MARS/WARS had created its first robot, a basketball shooter, which would participate in the 2012 game, Rebound Rumble. The team traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it competed in the Wisconsin Regional. Team 4143 was awarded the Rookie All-Star award and advanced to the 2012 FIRST World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri, where the team finished as a finalist in the Archimedes division. MARS/WARS is thankful for the opportunities provided to the team by its generous sponsors as well as the school board and administration of Metamora Township High School, which enabled it to have a successful first season. Team 4143 takes pride in the precedent it set in this season and continues to strive to meet the standards and fulfill the ambitions of the founding team.

As the 2010-2011 school year began, a number of students, faculty, and community members expressed interest in a FIRST Robotics team being hosted at Metamora Township High School. As a result, MTHS investigated the possibility of bringing the program to the school. In the fall of 2010, a FIRST Robotics team at MTHS was just a dream, but Mr. Joe Bachman was determined to make a reality. After a year of extensive research, speeches to school board members, and collaboration with other area FIRST teams, the Metamora/Woodford Area Robotics team was born.

As the competition robot comes closer to completion, MARS/WARS focuses its attention on more precise adjustments that enhance the bot’s performance and durability. Support cables were added to the vertical elevator to prevent damage from the weight of loaded totes and refinement of one lifting component of the elevator is underway to optimize its functionality. Work continued on the practice robot and the electrical board was assembled and will be installed on this robot in the upcoming build sessions. Fabrication of the vertical elevator for the second robot began and components were made for the lifters as well as the parts through which the elevator will be secured to the chassis.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015
For the first time in the team’s history, MARS/WARS has been able to begin the construction of a practice robot before Bag & Tag. Fabrication of this second robot will be conducted simultaneously with the completion of the competition bot. On Tuesday, February 10, team members made refinements to the claw that will be installed on the competition bot for advanced mobility when moving recycling containers. During this build session, team members welded the frames of the swerve modules for the practice bot, for which bearings were also fabricated.

Monday, February 9, 2015
MARS/WARS’s build session on Monday, February 9, marks the beginning of the final full week in the 2015 competitive build season, with only eight days until Bag & Tag. The team has entered the week with a robot capable of full operation of its swerve drive, the elevation of six totes, and the locomotion of recycling containers. As expected, the robot encounters problems with its center of balance and stability when it is loaded to maximum capacity and MARS/WARS plans to spend the remainder of the season resolving this issue. Based upon the status of the robot, team members can now plan cosmetic enhancements to the robot and determine what features it can add for the personification and correlated marketing of the robot.

Saturday, February 7, MARS/WARS shared its work with the community during its annual open house. Over 200 guests were in attendance including school administrators and board members, representatives from the media, and future team members. To portray the objectives and work of MARS/WARS, guests were enlightened on the 2015 game and then presentations were conducted by each subgroup and team members shared their role on the team. The guided tour included stops to hear from the Mad Hatters, one of MARS/WARS’s Lego League teams, a presentation about the team’s MarsCar initiative, and live robot demonstrations.

Immediately following the open house, MARS/WARS presented its most recent outreach project, another MarsCar, to Ethan, an Easter Seals client. The team spent six weeks working on the conversion of the Gator vehicle, which has been outfitted with a new seat with safety belts and can be controlled by Ethan’s parents, allowing the vehicle to be an interactive family experience. Watching Ethan ride around the gym in his new car and seeing the look on his parents face was a touching experience for MARS/WARS team members, who felt honored to be a part of such an influential project. The team also presented a check for $504.02 that it raised during its fall Pie in the Face fundraiser. Representatives of WMBD Chanel 31 were present at the event which was broadcasted later in the evening. View video footage of the event here: http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/story/d/story/metamora-robotics-team-donates-car-to-easter-seals/28149/EtVsB6QB3EqBmaGfHsgPoA

Thursday, February 5, 2015
Due to the fact that MARS/WARS is ahead of schedule with robot construction, the team is able to develop supplemental instruments to install on the robot that weren’t originally included in the design. The robot’s mass is less than the specified limit, and as a result the team has decided to install an arm for the lifting and moving of recycling containers. The arm will be capable of placing a recycling container on a stack six totes high for a total of forty-two points. It is currently in the modeling stage of production and MARS/WARS hopes to begin fabrication of the arm in the upcoming build sessions.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015
As robot components reach a completed status, more of the electrical system can be implemented into the robot. During MARS/WARS’s Tuesday build session, the electrical board was mounted onto the robot and the team began wiring various parts of the robot. The swerve drive modules have all been connected to the electrical board, meaning the team will have a robot capable of remote controlled operation as soon as the program is developed. The team continues to investigate how the tote elevator, the primary method by which the robot will score points, can be optimized. MARS/WARS is experimenting with different claws to mount on the tote elevator to determine which will supply the most secure grip for the totes.

Monday, February 2, 2015
On Monday, February 2, MARS/WARS conducted analyses on the robot to compare measurements to data generated in Creo, the 3D modeling software used by the team. This resulted in the discovery that the robot’s measured weight is nearly equal to the theoretical weight calculated by the modeling team. This is of significance because it indicates that the team can use the model to accurately simulate tests on the robot, such as locating the center of gravity to determine the likelihood of tipping. Additionally, MARS/WARS completed the tote elevator on the robot by adding chains, allowing the lifter to function independent of human contact. Chain tensioners were installed on the tote elevator during the Monday build session to eliminate slack and keep the chains on their sprockets.